Sailors from the Blue Ridge command ship of the U.S. Navy laid flowers at the eternal flame of the World War Two memorial to the combat glory of the Russian Pacific Fleet on Saturday.
The flagship of the U.S. 7th Fleet arrived at Vladivostok on Friday to participate in the May 9 celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of victory over nazi Germany. The celebrations will include the biggest ever post-Soviet demonstration of military hardware.
This year is the first time that troops from other countries that were allies of the Soviet Union during World War Two will take part in the parade in Red Square.
Victory Day marks the final surrender by Nazi Germany to the U.S.S.R. in WWII, often referred to as the Great Patriotic War in Russia and other states in the former Soviet Union.
At the ceremony of laying flowers at the WWII memorial, captain Rudy Lupton said that Russia and the United States were allies of the anti-Hitler coalition and fought together to defeat Nazis.
Therefore, Victory Day is a common holiday for Russia and the United States and U.S. Navy sailors have come to Russia to pay tribute to those who showed courage and heroism and sacrificed their lives for the victory over nazi Germany, he said.
Lupton also said that today Russia and the United States were allies as before, including their joint efforts to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
VLADIVOSTOK, May 8 (RIA Novosti)
